If only I had paid attention

By Staff
Scot Beard
In two months voters will end what has been the longest presidential race in history.
More than one year ago several candidates from the two major parties and several other independent candidates declared they would run for the office.
Some candidates dropped out while others joined in. By this summer the nominees were narrowed down, and in the last two weeks the major parties verified their candidates at the party conventions.
No matter which party wins the race, history will be made. If John McCain wins, the nation will have its first female vice president in Sarah Palin. If Barack Obama wins, the nation will have its first black president.
I am a bit of a history junkie, so I am really enjoying this election year. Unfortunately, I missed out on being able to observe it first hand.
During the spring and summer I watched closely as various candidates were eliminated during the primaries. I also watched to see who would win the battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton.
I was so caught up in the primaries I did not pay attention to what would happen after the conventions. I knew the conventions would end and the election would be in November, but I did not think about the debates until Monday afternoon.
That was a big mistake.
Two of the three debates will be held relatively close to Franklin County. The first debate will be in Oxford, Miss., which is about a three-hour drive. The second debate will also be three hours away in Nashville.
I tried to find out what I needed to do in order to get a press pass to one of the events. The debate at Ole Miss is Sept. 26, so I could not cover it because there are football games that night.
I looked at the Belmont University Web site and, after several minutes of searching, found out the deadline for applying for press credentials ended in the middle of August. Since I could not get in as a member of the press, I tried to see about purchasing tickets.
I was informed that there were not many tickets to the general public and the one that were available would be given to undecided voters in the Nashville area.
I am disappointed I did not realize where the debates were going to be at an earlier time so I could apply for credentials. After all, how often are presidential debates held so close to northwest Alabama?
I do not remember them ever being this close, and the odds of them returning in my lifetime are probably slim.
I will still take part in history by watching the debates, only I will be watching on a television instead of at the arena.